Separating device



March 4, 1941. H. SUSS SEPARATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR" HEINRICH Suss BY 4 a: ATTORNEYS .March 4, 1941. H. SUSS SEPARATING DEVICE I Filed Aug. 2, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: HEINRICH Suss ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES l -ATEN'T OFFICE;

by mesne assignments,

to Maschinen-und Metallwaren-Handelsgesellschaft m. b. 11., Berlin, Germany, a limited liability company of Germany Application August 2, 1939, Serial No. 287,927

In Germany March 11, 1939 3 Claims.

This invention relates-to a separating device and refers more particularly to a device used for separating a liquid or a granular or pulverulent mass into two or more parts.

The German Patent No. 670,294, issued January 16, 1939,describes a separator for liquids which is intended for use in the chemical industry, particularly for distillation purposes, to separate the liquid flowing back into a distillation column into twoparts, the ratio of the amounts of which has a certain predetermined adjustable value. This is accomplished by pouring the liquid upon a rotating body and ejecting the liquid from the body by the centrifugal forces resulting from its rotation. A predeterminable part of the ejected liquid is caused to strike an object and is thereby separated from the remainder of the liquid.

It Was found that this device does not operate entirely satisfactorily, since in the case of a nonuniform undulation of the liquid, and particularly when-the amounts of the liquid supplied to the rotary body vary within substantial limits, the liquid forms small wave-like ridges upon the walls of the rotary body. Although these ridges become flatter toward the edges of the rotary body, they nevertheless prevent the distribution of the jets of liquid ejected by the rotation of the body from being uniform;

An object of the present invention is the provision of a separator having means providing a uniform distribution of the jets of liquid ejected by the rotary body of the separator.

Another object is the provision of a separator which is simple and inexpensive in construction andthrough the use of which-it is possible to separate a liquid or a granular mass into parts bearing a definite predetermined relationship to each other, irrespective of variations in the amount of liquid or mass supplied to the separator.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification.

The objects of the present invention may be realized through the provision of a separator having a rotary body in the form of a container, a pot-like disc or the like, the annular flange or edge of which carries a closure member, such as a disc, which is movable in a vertical direction away from the rotary body.

It is particularly advantageous 'to cause the closure member to lie freely upon the edges of the rotary body, so that it is rotated along with therotating body solely by frictional contact.

Furthermore, it is of I advantage to construct the closure member in the form of a disc having the same diameter as that of the outer edges of the rotary body, and to polish the contacting surfaces of the rotary body and of the closure member.

Through the provision of this closure member, the uniformity of the jets or sprays of the liquid ejected by the rotary body is considerably furthered and the liquid fans out in the form of a substantially flat or thin veil.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing by way of example preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is partly a side elevation of and partly a vertical section through a device constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention; I

Figure 2 is a horizontal section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and v Figure 3 shows in vertical section and partly in side elevation a part of a somewhat differently constructed device.

The separator shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a motor 4 having a motor shaft 5 which is firmly connected by the nuts 6 with a rotary body I. The body 1 has the form of a container pro,- vided with a disc-shaped bottom portion 8 and conical side walls 9 terminating in a substantially horizontal annular flange or edge portion The rotarybody I is enclosed by a casing ll having a bulging'portion l2 and communicating withapipe I3. v

A part of the periphery of the rotary body 1 is enclosed by a separating member Hi having cylindrical inner surfaces which are substantially concentrical to the rotary body 1. The lower portion l5 of the bodyld has the form of a closed ring so that when this portion is situated opposite the edges III, the entire liquid ejected by the rotary body 1 strikes the inner surfaces of the body It. The upper portion of the body I4 has two edges 16 whichmay converge to a single point The body I4 is connected to a rod 18 which may be provided with an indicator [9 co-operating With a scale 20. The rod I8 is movable vertically, so that the position of the separating element I 4 relatively to the edges 10 of the rotary body 1 maybe conveniently adjusted.

A'tubular'm'ember 2| the interior of which is in communication with a pipe 22, is situated below the separating element I4.

The liquid or the granular mass is supplied to the rotary body I through a pipe 23 which is firmly connected to a pipe 24 enclosing the motor.

shaft 5 and having a lower opening which is situated above the bottom portion 8 of the rotary body I.

The rotary body I carries a closure member or disc which has a central opening enclosing the pipe 24. The disc 25 lies freely upon the edges II] of the rotary body I so that it can move in a direction away from the body I.

Preferably, the disc 25 has the samediameter as the outer diameter of the annular edges I0, and the contacting surfaces 26 and 2'! of the disc 25 and the edges I0, respectively, are polished.

The device is operated as follows:

In order to provide that the liquid flowing through the pipe 23 is separated in a certain definite proportion into the liquid flowing through the pipe I3 and the liquid 'fiowing through the pipe 22, it is necessary to adjust the separating element I4 by moving the rod I8 until the element I4 occupies a certain definite position in relation to the edges II] of the rotary body I.

It is apparent that in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, a certain part of the periphery of the rotary body 1 is enclosed by the separating element I4. Therefore, since the liquid fans out uniformly from the rotary body I, a predetermined fraction of that liquid will strike the inner walls of the separating element I4 and will flow into the container 2I and the pipe 22, while the remaining portion of the liquid will strike the bulging portion I2 of the container II and will flow into the pipe I3.

If the separating member I4 is moved upwardly or downwardly from the illustrated position, its side; walls will enclose a greater or smaller part of the periphery of the rotary body I and therefore the ratio of the amount of liquid striking the inner surfaces'of the member I4 and flowing into the pipe 22 to the amount of liquid striking the inner surfaces of the container II and flowing into the pipe I3, will be changed.

As shown in Figure 1; the liquid is introduced through the pipe 23 into the pipe 24 and falls upon the bottom 8 of the body I, which is rapidly rotated by the motor 4 and the shaft 5. The centrifugal forces acting upon' the liquid will drive itoutwardly so that the liquid will be collected adjacent the edges ID in the form of a ring 28.

The centrifugal force F (Fig. 1) acting upon thering 28 will have a vertical component V and with an increase in the speed of rotation of the body I, the component V will become eventually sufficiently great to overcome the weight of the closure disc 25 and to raise it, thus causing the liquid ring 28 to be ejected in the form of jets or sprays 29 which fan out uniformly over the entire periphery of the rotary body I.

If the mass of the liquid ring 28 is diminished, due to the ejection of the liquid, the vertical force V will also become smaller, until it is equal to the weight of the disc 25. In the course of the further diminution of the liquid ring 28 the disc 25 drops upon the surfaces 21 of the edges III.

In the meantime, the liquid flowing from the pipe 24 to the liquid ring 28 forms waves which move toward the closure member 25 and break up at the part 3| of the closure member 25.

Thus, the disc 25, which is rotated by the rotary body I due to the weight of the disc, has the effect of breaking up the waves formed by the liquid in the course of its flow upon the rotary body I. This is caused by the fact that the polished surfaces 26 and 21 of the disc 25 and the rotary body I remain in close contact with each other until a certain mass 28 of the liquid has assembled in front of these surfaces, the liquid being ejected out of the rotary body "I only when the centrifugal force F of the liquid ring 28 has become so great that its vertical component V is greater than the weight of the disc 25.

When the disc 25 is raised by the force V and an. annular space is formed between the surfaces 26 and 21 through which the jets 29 of the liquid are ejected, the disc 25 swims upon the liquid. The disc 25 will not rotate as quickly as the rotary body 'I, and therefore, due to the resulting relative movement between the disc 25 and the body I, the disc 25 has the effect of fiattening outthe liquid while it fans out of the body I. This furthers still more the uniform distribution of the ejected liquid over the entire periphery of the rotary body I. i

As already stated, the waves 30 of the liquid move upwardly along the inner surfaces of the liquid-ring 28 striking the disc 25 at the points ,3I. The disc 25, which operates as a rotating gyro, remains in a horizontal position and does not swing about its vertical axis.

The separator .sho-wn in Figure 3 includes a motor 4 driving a motor shaft 5 which actuates the rotary body I. In this construction, the closure member 40 has the form of a container provided with a bottom portion 4|, side walls 42, and a substantially large horizontal edge portion 43. Thus the closure member 40 is substantially similar to the rotary body 1. The bottom 4| and/or the side walls 42 of the closure member 40 are provided with openings 44 through which the liquid poured upon the bottom 4| reaches the bottom of the rotary body I.

In this construction, the bottom 4| distributes the liquid uniformly over its surface, thus providing a preliminary peripheral distribution. Therefore, in this case it may not be necessary any more to supply the liquid centrally to the device and in. certain instances the liquid may be introduced through a pipe 45 the opening 46 of which is not central in relation to the rotary body I. The operation of this device is substantially the same as that already described.-

It is apparent that the specific illustrations shown above have been given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, and that the structures above described are subject to wide variation and modification without departing from the scope or intent of the invention, all of which variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a separator having means for separating ejected particles; a rotary body for receiving said particles and ejecting them by the centrifugal force of its rotation, said body having the form of a container and including an edge portion, a centrally apertureddisc freely lying upon said edge portion and in frictional engagement therewith, whereby said disc is rotated along with said rotary body, and means connected with said container for rotating the same and extending through the central aperture formed in said disc.

'2. In a separator having means for separating ejected particles; a rotary body for receiving said particles and ejecting them' by the centrifugal force of its rotation, said body having the form of a container and including an edge portion, a centrally apertured disc freely lying upon said edge portion and having polished annular surfaces contacting polished annular surfaces formedrin said edge portion, and means connected with said container for rotating the same and extending through the central aperture formed in said disc.

3. In a separator having means for separating ejected particles; a rotary body for receiving said particles and ejecting them by the centrifugal force of its rotation, said body having the form of a container and including an edge portion, and a closure member movable in a direction away from said edge portion, said closure member being carried by said edge portion and having a recessed portion, said recessed portion having the form of a container and having openings formed therein to transmit particles introduced into said recessed portion to said rotary body. HEINRICH st'iss. 

